Jan. 9, 2004

When I first became aware of the Moskowitz Gambling empire and what he represented it was 1998 and I was beginning my seventh year as a Human Relations Commissioner in neighboring Long Beach. Because of my position people had started to talk to me about the sad situation in Hawaiian Gardens. Since as a Long
Beach Commisioner there was nothing I could do, I joined with others to form the Coalition for Justice in Hawaiian Gardens and Jerusalem after touring Hawaiian Gardens and seeing the closed municipal swimming pool, and all the other closed facilities that were no longer operating because of the muscle that Moskwitz had exerted. When the police didn't do his bidding, he got rid of them. When the council members didn't do as he wished, he got rid of them. It was quite frightening, unless you were on his side.

As our group kept looking into things, we kept finding out more information. Whether it was the matter of where the casino was located (much too close to schools); who was employed, (in some cases, undocumented workers who could be underpaid); in other cases at the Bingo, which was supposed to be volunteer, they were paid.

Even the election where the gambling law was passed is called into question as gangs were hired to tear down any anti gambling signs. Moskowitz has used gang thugs at several junctures, for elections of favored city council people and against others. (to tear down signs)

While Moskowitz himself is seldom seen in the area, he has a local attorney to do his bidding and when I attended public Hawaiian Gardens City Council meetings this man was not only in attendance but clearly directed the council people and went into chambers with them.

The millions of dollars that are made by the Bingo and Casino that clearly could be used by this very poor community is instead starved by Moskowitz of these monies. Instead he chooses to fund the most violent war making people in the Israeli right-wing. I say this as a Jewish woman who yearns for a just peace in the middle east.

His idea of a web site (now closed) of assassination of Jewish Leaders of Peace, including Rabin, who was assassinated is beyond contempt. This is not a man deserving of a dog license.

I am not against there being a gambling establishment in Hawaiian Gardens, just not one run by Irving Moskowitz or any of his family or cronies.